Crash Into Me
by strangersilence
Summary: Ally doesn't have the easiest life. Austin has everything. It all begins with Austin running over Ally's bike. He wants to get to know her, but she thinks he's just pitying her. Can two completely different people become friends? *Complete for now*
1. Chapter 1

"Nice bike, _Dirtson."_

Dirtson. That was a new one. People usually called me Dorkson, so this new insult was almost like a breath of fresh air.

I rolled my eyes in response to the boy who was nearly on the ground, laughing at his cleverness. I looked down at my bike that the boy had just insulted. I really couldn't blame him; the thing was a piece of crap. But as my father always reminds me: it's _my _piece of crap and I should be grateful that I don't have to walk to school every day. Sometimes I thought that it would almost be better to walk to school. The piece of junk didn't have a kickstand and the once bright, cherry red bike was nearly rusted to the bone. Sometimes I feared for my safety while riding it, praying that it wouldn't give out at the worst possible moment, like in the middle of a street.

I rolled my bike up to my high school's bike racks, which were really just two long metal poles stuck in the ground. The rack was nearly full of shiny bikes resting on their kickstands and chained to the pole with fancy bike locks. People locked up their bikes so someone wouldn't steal it; I didn't have to worry about that. No one in their right mind would steal my bike. No one would want to be caught dead on it. I was about to lean my bike against the bike on the end of the rack like I always did, but the owner, who was a few feet away texting on his phone glanced over and gave me a dirty look as if to say _"Don't you _dare_ let that piece of junk touch my bike."_

I rolled my eyes and threw my bike against the ground. It came to a rest pathetically next to the bike racks, looking like a wounded veteran dead next to a row of shiny new soldiers. I shouldered my backpack and prepared myself to walk through the front doors of the high school building. I glanced at my watch.

"Oh shoot!" I gasped aloud as I realized I had two minutes to make it to class. I hadn't even heard the warning bell ring. I dashed through the doors and through the hallway, watching as the seconds ticked by on my watch. I had ten seconds to make it down the last hallway to my history class.

5\. 4. 3. 2…

Right when it struck 7:45 and the bell rung, I was at the door, but so was Mr. Johns, my history teacher, a tardy slip already in his hand. I sighed and took the slip. When I reached my desk in the back, I stuffed it into the front pouch of my backpack with the rest of the collection of bright pink slips.

Of course I was late. I always was. No matter how hard I tried, I was always late to school. I blamed my Dad. If he would just wake up a little bit earlier and offer to _drive _me to school, I could actually be on time for once. But no. He always claimed that his job as a contractor tired him out and he had to sleep as much as he could. I knew that wasn't true. He hardly got any clients, so he hardly ever worked. He spends his nights playing poker and smoking and drinking with his buddies. Maybe if he didn't gamble so much we could actually afford to get a few things, like a new bike. But of course not. He gambles away all our money and complains to me the day after that we are flat broke.

**A&amp;A**

By the time lunch rolled around, I just wanted to go home. I went through the lunch line, picking things that I hoped would be edible, like a turkey sandwich, macaroni and cheese, and chocolate milk. I got to the cashier and swiped my lunch card. The lady twisted her face and tapped something on the screen.

"Swipe it again for me, hun."

I sighed and swiped my card again. The lady kept tapping away at the screen.

"Sorry, hun," she said, finally looking up at me. "Looks like you don't have any money in your account."

I bit the inside of my cheek. Dad had promised me he'd set aside money so I could get lunch. I looked down at my tray, unsure of what to do. I looked back up at the cashier, who just gave me a blank stare. My stomach growled, and I opened my mouth to give the lady an excuse, but someone behind me in line yelled out: "_You're holding up the line, Dorkson!" _ Heat rushed to my cheeks as I rushed away from the cashier, leaving my tray behind.

I hurried to a table in the very back corner of the cafeteria and buried my head in my arms. I couldn't bring this up with my dad; he'd just yell at me about how money is tight and yammer on about how hard he "works" to put a roof over our heads.

A tray clanking on the table across from me caused me to pick my head up at the sudden noise. Trish, my best/only friend, plopped into the seat across from me.

"Where's your lunch?" She asked, already digging into her salad. My stomach growled, reminding me how hungry I was.

"Turns out dad never put money in my account." I replied, resting my chin in my hands.

Trish gave me a sympathetic look. She picked up an apple off her tray and held it out.

"Thanks," I said sheepishly. I hated accepting help from anyone, but my stomach screamed at me to take the food.

"So you'd never _believe _what I heard in my English class!" Trish launched into her usual gossip as I bit into the apple.

"What?"

"So apparently, according to Tiffany, who heard from Rachel, who heard from Chloe, who heard from Brittany… Austin and Kira broke up!"

Trish looked at me expectantly, expecting me to be as excited about this piece of juicy gossip as she was, but honestly I wasn't surprised. Kira never lasted very long with anyone. She flitted from boy to boy as she pleased, leaving a wake of broken hearts, but she didn't care. All she cared about was what guy would make her more popular. I actually felt bad for Austin. He was a nice guy. _Oh who am I kidding? _Austin is _beyond _nice. He's flawless. Everybody loves him. He's the star of the baseball team, president of the student battle, and he probably has the best grades in the whole senior class. I had no doubt that he'd be valedictorian. Plus he's rich. Like extremely rich. His dad is some executive CEO. He never talks about his family's wealth, but everybody knows. On top of all that, he's _gorgeous. _Perfect blonde hair, perfect smile, perfect _everything._ Guys envied him, girls fawned over him. Kira was the first girl he had ever asked to be his girlfriend, a title any girl would kill for.

"Wow. It's only been like a week, right?" I asked.

Trish nodded. "Word is that Kira's cheating on him with Dallas."

I raised my eyebrows. "Wow. That must sting. They weren't very serious, were they?"

"I don't think so. Tiffany said that Kira was complaining that he wouldn't kiss her before their first date, which I guess never happened."

I nodded and turned my attention back to my apple. I spent the rest of lunch tuning out Trish's mindless gossip.

**A&amp;A**

After school, a fine mist was falling from the sky as I walked to the bike rack. I pulled my hood up over my head and lifted my bike from the ground, where it rested in a puddle of mud. _Great. _I got a tissue out of my backpack and wiped off the seat. Then I got on and started peddling home.

I zoned out most of the way home, but I was snapped out of my haze when a car swerved in front of me as I crossed the street. I slammed on the brakes, which barely slowed me down, and managed to avoid hitting the back of the black SUV, but I was thrown off balance and crashed to the curb into a puddle of mud.

"Jerk!" I yelled at the car as it sped away. I groaned as the mud seeped into the left side of my sweatshirt. I got up and tried to wipe myself off, but the mist was starting to turn into a sprinkle and just made my efforts useless. My knee burned from kitting the curb, but I ignored it as I got back onto my bike, using my anger as power to pedal. I finally stopped fuming by the time I got home.

Home. I would use that term loosely to describe the place where I live. I wouldn't describe the tiny apartment above a taco shop home. No. A home doesn't smell like cigar smoke, or have beer bottles covering every surface. A home isn't permanently inhabited with pedophiliac old men that are always fixed around the folding card table. This isn't home. This is simply a place where I'm living until I can move out and make my own life.

I park my bike under the metal stairs that lead to the apartment. I looked in the side window of the taco shop and saw Ben, my favorite person at the taco shop, mopping the floors. I knocked on the window and waved. He gave me a big smile and waved back. As I began to climb the stairs, I could already hear the yelling. When I opened the door, my nose was assaulted with the thick smell of smoke. I coughed and waved away the haze.

My dad sat at the card table with three other men that I had seen a couple times before. He didn't look up from his game, but he put up his finger, signaling me to wait at the door. He pushed a stack of chips to the middle of the table and got out of his seat. He grabbed a folder off the counter and headed towards me.

"I need you," he slurred, obviously slightly drunk, "to take this to the Moon's house."

He shoved the folder into my hands. My mouth went dry. The Moon's house. As in where Austin _Moon _lives.

"Um, what is this?" I asked, trying to stall.

"It's an estimate. They want some work done and I told them I'd have an estimate sent to them by tonight."

"Then shouldn't you be delivering this yourself?"

Dad glared at me and pointed to the poker game. "I'm _busy."_

I gulped and backed out the door. "Ok, fine."

I rushed down the stairs and grabbed my bike. I stuffed the packet in my backpack and got on my bike. The rain had luckily let up. It was a ten minute ride to the neighborhood where the Moons live, and I spent every minute running possible scenarios through my head. I imagined Austin looking at me in disgust in my muddy sweatshirt. I imagined him telling the whole school that my dad was a low-life contractor. I was so nervous that I nearly past their house.

Now when I said that Austin was rich, I wasn't joking. He lives in a giant mansion that has a big gate at the entrance. I stared lamely at the gate, not sure what to do. Finally I realized that there was a callbox on the left. I pushed the button and waited.

"No soliciting." A woman's voice said on the other end.

I pushed the button to respond, "Um, I'm not selling anything. I have the estimate from Lester Dawson of Dawson's Contracting."

There was a long pause. "Ok, bring it up. Please keep your bike off the grass."

There was a beep and suddenly the gates opened. I walked through them and up the winding driveway. When I reached the house, I stood and stared for a moment. It was beautiful. It was probably the nicest house I'd ever seen. I lamely set my bike down in the drive way and walked up to the front door. Right when I rang the doorbell a woman flung the door open. I jumped back.

Standing in front of me was a tall, slender woman in a pinstripe dress suit. She looked very professional and I was slightly intimidated.

"Umm-I-" I stammered.

The lady looked me over, her eyes lingering on my mud-stained sweatshirt and my hair that clung to my face awkwardly, and held her finger up.

"Wait here, I'll get Mrs. Moon."

She closed the door and left me standing there. That wasn't Mrs. Moon? Then I realized I shouldn't have been so surprised. Of course they probably had a house staff.

The door opened again and a friendly looking blonde woman stood before me. She smiled at me.

"Are you delivering the estimate?" She asked, her voice as sweet as sugar.

I shook myself out of my thoughts.

"Oh! Yes!"

I took my backpack off of my shoulder and dug around for the folder. Mrs. Moon peered over my shoulder and saw my bike laying in the driveway.

"Oh dear! Did you bike all the way here?" She put her hand over her heart.

Heat rushed to my cheeks. "Um, yes, ma'am."

"You must be so tired! Plus it's been raining! Your poor dear! Please, come inside!"

Holding out the folder, I shook my head. "Oh really ma'am, I'm fi-"

Before I could finish my sentence, the sound of crushing metal filled the air. I whipped around to see my bike squashed under the tire of a shiny silver Jeep. I gasped along with Mrs. Moon.

"My bike!" I screeched.

The driver's door opened and a familiar head of blonde hair exited.

"AUSTIN MONICA MOON!" Mrs. Moon yelled.

The color drained from my face as I watched Austin went around the front of his car and looked at the remains of my pathetic bike squashed like a bug under his tire. He turned around and locked eyes with me. Tears flooded to my eyes. I turned around and shoved the folder into Mrs. Moon's hand. She looked at me with sympathy.

"Do you need a ride hom-"

I couldn't respond. Austin was saying something and walking towards me, but tears clouded my vision. I was so embarrassed that I could have dropped dead right there.

I couldn't just stand there. So I ran.

**A&amp;A**

**Hey guys! So this is my new story that I've been working on for a long time. Sorry I haven't worked on You Are In Love in forever, I just haven't had any inspiration for that for a long time. Plus I've just had so many story ideas that I can't force myself to work on it. **

**I hope you guys like this new story!**

**I own nothing **

**Reviews Rock :)**

**Review, Follow, Favorite!**

**|April|**


	2. Chapter 2

I ran as fast as I could.

My heart was practically beating out of my chest and my lungs were on the verge of bursting- I never was the most athletic person. The rain that had begun to fall in heavy sheets soaked me to the bone and made me shiver. I choked on the tears that flooded down my face.

When I finally reached my apartment steps I doubled over and gasped for air. I leaned my head against the wall of the taco shop and closed my eyes. I just ran over a mile in the pouring rain, for what? Because I was embarrassed? It was so childish to run like that. Mrs. Moon probably would have been nice enough to drive me home, but the problem was Austin. I didn't want to stick around and have him pity me over my stupid bike. He's so nice that it's nearly unbearable.

Footsteps sounded to my left, causing me to lift my head and open my eyes. Ben, in his taco shop uniform, was walking towards me with a towel in his hand. He didn't say anything to me, just held it out and gave me a small smile. I gratefully took the towel and followed him around the corner into the taco shop. I took a seat at a booth closest to the front doors and let my body absorb the warmth of the restaurant. Ben headed behind the front counter and back towards the kitchen.

"Usual?" he asked, looking back at me.

I wrapped the towel around me as tight as possible and nodded. "Yes, please."

He went into the back and emerged a few minutes later with two plates in his hand. He walked over to the table and took the seat across from me. He pushed the plate that had nacho cheese fries over to me, and took the plate that had rolled tacos on it for himself. I dug into the fries, suddenly feeling how hungry I was.

"So," Ben said, breaking the silence after a few minutes of eating, "Wanna tell me why you look like you've been put through a washing machine?"

"Well," I began, pushing some fries around my plate with my fork, "when I got home, Dad barely let me step inside before he forced me out and told me to deliver an estimate to the Moons."

Ben raised his eyebrows. "As in _the _Moons?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I told him to do it himself but of course he didn't want to leave his poker game. So I went to their house, and when I was handing over the folder, Austin Moon pulls up and runs over my bike."

Ben raised his eyebrows even higher. "On purpose?"

I scoffed. "Of course not. Austin Moon wouldn't kill a fly. Anyways, I was so embarrassed that I just ran away. Then it started raining." I gestured at my soaked clothes.

Ben bit into one of his tacos, examining me carefully. I figured that he must be doing some kind of psychological evaluation on me right now. He's a senior in college, majoring in psychology, and he's always evaluating people's emotions.

"That's tough." He said still deep in thought.

I sighed and started forking up the last of my fries. Ben suddenly slammed his palms on the table, making me jump. He pointed at me and smirked.

"You like him!"

I dropped my fork. "Where did you come up with that?"

"It's so obvious! I mean you real-"

I held up my hand to cut him off. "I do not 'like' Austin Moon."

Ben leaned back and crossed his arms. "Oh, so you _love _him."

I glared at him and threw my wadded up napkin at him. I stood up and headed for the door.

"Don't deny it Ally! My extreme psychological skills are always right!" he called after me.

I stuck my tongue out at him as I grabbed the door handle. "Doesn't someone have to be _sane _before they give someone mental advice?"

He grabbed his heart in fake hurt. "That's cruel."

I rolled my eyes and walked out.

**A&amp;A**

The shattering of glass startled me awake. I sat up in my bed and rubbed my eyes. The alarm clock on my bedside table read: 3:24 AM. I jumped as the shattering of glass filled the silence of the night again. I eased out of bed and walked over to my bedroom door. I turned the knob and slipped out into the hallway and crept towards the main living area of the apartment.

When I peeked around the corner, I had to cover my mouth to silence my gasp.

A single light illuminated the space, giving everything in the room an eerie glow. My dad stood in the kitchen, leaning over the kitchen sink. Glass covered the floor of the whole living room. Drops of blood were scattered on the tile of the kitchen.

My dad lifted his head. He grabbed the nearest bottle, turned around, and threw it against the wall, missing me by a mere foot. His bloodshot eyes found mine and I gulped. I had never seen him like this.

"DAMMIT ALLY." He screamed at me. I shrunk back. _He's drunk Ally, this isn't him._

"D-dad." I stammered. He came closer until he loomed over me.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT." He screamed. I inched as far down the wall as I could until I was on the ground.

"W-what did I do?" I stammered, telling myself to stay calm.

"More like what didn't you do? That's the real question." he sneered, taking a swig from a beer bottle.

"I-I don't understand."

"YOU LOST EVERYTHING WE HAVE." He slammed the bottle against the ground. Glass shards danced on my skin, but didn't cut me.

"What?"

"DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND YOU STUPID GIRL? WE HAVE NOTHING NOW BECAUSE OF YOU."

"Dad, what are you talking about?"

"ALL OUR MONEY IS GONE BECAUSE OF YOU."

Reality struck me like lightning.

"Everything?"

"EVERY PENNY IS GONE BECAUSE OF YOU."

I clenched my fists. He gambled away all of our money.

"What about my money for college that Mom set aside?"

"Gone. Ally why the hell would you do that? You've left us with nothing!"

A tear slipped down my cheek. I couldn't believe him. I was always scared it would happen. I pinched the palm of my hand, hoping to wake up in bed and find that this was all just a bad dream. He was blaming me. Couldn't he see how big of a hole he had dug for himself? Why couldn't he see that he had a serious problem? Reality sunk in as Dad walked back to the sink. I slunk back into my room and tried to let sleep overcome me.

**A&amp;A**

When I got up to get ready for school, Dad was nowhere to be found. There was still glass everywhere. I tiptoed around it and out the door. I was actually leaving a lot earlier than normal because I had to walk to school.

When I got to school, I was actually quite early and people milled around the front of school. As I went to head up the stairs to the front door, I stopped dead in my tracks. Austin Moon was causally leaning against the railing by the front door. _Perfect. _I was planning to do whatever it took to avoid him. I figured it wouldn't be hard as he never notices me anyways, but my plans were quickly dying.

I pulled my hood up over my head and put my head down as I started towards the doors. I had my hand on the door when a voice called out: "Ally!"

I didn't look back as I quickly opened the door and hurried down the main hallway to my locker. I breathed a sigh of relief as I reached it. Austin's locker was on the other side of school, so he had no reason to come over here. I was pulling out my history book when a figure leaned against the locker next to me. I didn't look over and continued gathering my things.

"I'm sorry about your bike." I reluctantly looked over. There he was, in all of his perfectness, looking as sincere as ever. I bit my lip and looked down at my books.

"It's fine." I slammed my locker shut and started quickly walking to class. I tried to telepathically tell him to leave me alone, but of course he jogged after me and walked at my side. I kept staring straight ahead, hoping he'd get the hint.

"I feel really bad," he started, clearly unable to take a hint. "I wanted to give you a ride to school this morning, but I realized that I don't know where you live."

_Good. Nobody does. _I thought.

He scratched the back of his neck. "Do you want a ride home from school?"

I noticed we were in front of my classroom and stopped, finally making eye contact with him. "Look," I started forcefully, "I don't need your pity. It was just a stupid bike. I'm perfectly fine with walking."

He looked slightly hurt, but I didn't care. The bell rang, and I turned around as Mr. Johns opened the door.

"Nice to see you on time, Ms. Dawson."

**A&amp;A**

When I told Trish what had happened yesterday, she was bursting at the seams with excitement.

"OMG ALLY! You went to his _house!" _

I rolled my eyes. "Were you not listening?"

"I was! But Ally, do you realize how big of an opportunity this is! He asked if he could give you a ride home!"

I sighed. "I don't want his pity. Just imagine the look on his face if he found out where I live."

"Ally do you really think _Austin Moon _would laugh at you?"

I rolled my eyes and tried my hardest to change the subject by asking Trish about Prom.

She squealed at the topic. "OMG I forgot to tell you! Dez asked me to Prom!"

I raised my eyebrows. "I thought you hated Dez."

She twirled a piece of her hair and went all dreamy eyed. "Yeah."

I narrowed my eyes. "You are so strange."

Trish shook her head and put on a serious look. "Speaking of Prom, do you have anyone to go with yet?"

"My answer is the same as the last time you asked me an hour ago: no."

"You knowww," Trish dragged on, getting a sneaky look, "Dez _is _Austin's best friend. We could all go together!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah right, over my dead body."

**A&amp;A**

When the last bell rang, rain started to fall from the sky.

"Of course!" I yelled at the sky, causing a passing freshman to give me a strange look.

I sighed and pulled my hood over my head. There was no doubt that I was going to get sick from this constant walking in the rain. I was only about a block from school when a familiar grey jeep pulled up next to me.

I didn't stop walking, so he slowly crept alongside me. After a few feet of this, I finally stopped walking and he rolled down his window.

"Ally, it's raining." He looked truly concerned.

"Oh, I didn't notice," I replied sarcastically. Austin just kept staring at me hardly.

"Ally, get in."

"Are you trying to kidnap me?" My lame humor bubbled at the surface. He did not look amused.

"Ally."

The way he looked at me guilted me into opening the door and hopping inside. I watched as water started to pool on the fancy leather seats from my clothes.

"Sorry to get your seats wet." Heat rose to my cheeks. I didn't belong in this nice car. He looked over at me, a smile pulled at the corner of his lips.

"You really think I care about some stupid seats?" I looked down at my hands. He was just so _nice. _He's one of the few people at school that don't call me Dorkson or some other nasty name.

"So where do you live?" The color drained from my face. A million thoughts raced through my head. I couldn't let him know where I lived. I know that he wouldn't tell anyone, and he probably wouldn't make fun of me, but I had no idea what would happen if my dad happened to look outside and see me rolling up in some guy's car.

My mouth hung open but nothing came out. I wasn't sure what to say. He looked at me with a kind smile and expectant eyes. I stammered out directions to a neighborhood about a block away from the apartment.

The short drive was a comfortable silence, and I was grateful. I was scared he would start asking me personal questions that I was in no way ready to reveal to him.

We finally pulled into the neighborhood and I blindly pointed to a house with an empty driveway.

"So this is where you live?" he asked innocently.

I looked at the house. It was light blue with white shutters. It had a garage and a neatly manicured lawn. There were flowers planted in a flower box outside of a window. For a moment I let my mind imagine what it must be like to live in a house like that. I imagined sitting down to a home cooked meal, talking about my day at school with my parents, and then going into a big bedroom, sitting down on a big, comfy bed and pulling out a laptop to do my homework on. I imagined a big backyard with a pool to swim in in the summer and-

"Are your parents home?" his question brought me crashing out of my pleasant daydream. I reached down and gripped my backpack straps tightly.

"Um, no." I bit the inside of my lip. "Thank you very much for the ride."

I grabbed the handle to slip out of the car when he put a hand on my arm to stop me. "Do you want me to give you a ride to school, since I know where you live now?"

"Um, no, that's really not necessary." I gripped the handle tighter, just wanting to get out of the car and the conversation.

"But Ally, I insist. I mean I did run over your bike!" his eyes looked almost pleading.

I shook my head sharply. "No. I'm fine. I can take care of myself. Thanks for the ride."

I jumped out and flung my backpack onto my shoulder. I walked halfway up the driveway and turned around. Austin was still there, watching to make sure I got inside. I waved at him, signaling for him that he could go. He started pulling away very slowly, and eventually he turned out of the neighborhood. I waited a few minutes to make sure that he was really gone.

Then I turned around and started on home.

**A&amp;A**

**Hey guys! First of all I have to thank you all for your amazing reviews! You all are so nice and I really appreciate the reviews! I'm glad that a lot of you like the story so far! I was reading the reviews at school and I couldn't help but smile. I knew that I needed to get another chapter out. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! **

**I didn't edit the last part of this chapter because it's getting late and I'm really tired, so sorry for any mistakes. :) **

**I own nothing**

**Reviews rock :)**

**Review, Follow, Favorite!**

**|April|**


	3. Chapter 3

"YOU WHAT?"

I flinched. It seemed as if every eye in the cafeteria looked over to the table where Trish and I sat. I slid down in my chair as Trish stared at me with wild eyes.

"I told you Trish, he just gave me a ride home. It's no big deal." Trish nearly choked on her bite of salad.

"'_No big deal?' _Ally he sought you out! He cares about you!" Trish was starting to make frantic hand gestures.

I rolled my eyes to the back of my head. She didn't get it. He was pitying me. And I hated it.

"I didn't ask for him to."

Trish gasped. "Did you show him where you live? ALLY! I don't even know exactly where you live!"

I looked down at the table. "Not exactly. I had him drop me off in a neighborhood about a block from where I live."

Trish reached across the table and grabbed my hand. "Oh, Ally. Don't worry, I understand."

She gave my hand a squeeze and went back to her salad. My stomach growled. I had no idea what I was going to do. When I got home the day before, my dad wasn't there. I waited all night for him to come home, but he never showed up. I was scared. I had no money, no food… nothing.

**A&amp;A**

"Ally! Wait up!"

I groaned. I thought I was in the clear. I turned around to see Austin jogging over to me from the front steps of the school. He smiled at me, but I didn't return it.

"I'm going to drive you home." He held up his car keys and motioned to the parking lot. I crossed my arms and frowned.

"Look, Austin. I don't want your pity. I can handle myself. Yesterday was a one-time thing."

I expected him to just shrug and walk away, but his smile never faltered. He reached out and grabbed my wrist, starting to tug me towards the parking lot. Not expecting that, my body was easily dragged along behind him, but I found my footing and tried to pull my wrist back.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop it."

"Ally." He turned around and crossed his arms, matching my stance. "I can't let you walk home all alone. Do you know what kind of people are out there? Someone could just drive right up and snatch you!"

I scoffed. "Well at least they won't run over my bike."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that. Come on Ally, please." He gave me the same puppy dog eyes that lured me into his car the day before. I huffed.

"Fine."

Austin smiled triumphantly and started walking towards his car. I trudged along behind him, getting in the passenger seat.

Unlike yesterday's drive, Austin decided to talk to me.

"So, do you have any siblings?"

I gritted my teeth. "No."

Austin wasn't fazed by my coldness. "Oh, so you're an only child too. Do you live with both your mom and dad?"

My breath caught in my throat. I squeezed my palms together. "Just my dad."

Austin looked at me out of the corner. "Are your parents divorced?"

I tried to swallow around the lump in my throat. "No."

Austin didn't push any farther, luckily. There was no way I was opening up to him that easily.

We turned into the same neighborhood as yesterday and he pulled over in front of the same house.

"Thanks for the ride, even though I didn't really want it." I said, sliding out of the Jeep.

Austin just gave me a warm smile. "No problem."

Just like yesterday, I walked halfway up the driveway and turned and waved to Austin. He lingered a few seconds longer than the day before, but finally he headed out the neighborhood, until he was far out of sight.

**A&amp;A**

When I reached the apartment, there were four men standing at the bottom of the stairs. I paused for a moment. I vaguely remember them from my dad's poker games. They were big, burly men. Each one of them had various bald spots and bulging beer bellies.

I gathered myself and walked up to them.

"Can I help you guys?"

One guy that was leaning against the rail picked himself up and loomed over me. I gulped, trying to stay calm in front of these tough looking men.

"I s'pose. We's lookin fo Lester."

I looked past him to the top of the stairs, hoping for my dad to come swaggering down to take care of these men.

"I-He's not here right now?"

The man to the guy's left joined him in looming over me.

"What do ya mean 'he's not here'? Ya mean yous don't knows wheres he's at?"

"I-I don't know."

The third man cracked his knuckles. He walked over and grabbed my right arm tightly, causing me to yelp. He pulled me close to his face. "Well yous tell Lester that wes got some unfinished business wit him."

He squeezed tighter for a moment, and then he let go. The four men walked away. I scrambled up the stairs and locked the door behind me. What kind of business were they talking about? I prayed that Dad didn't owe them any money.

I slid down the back of the door, putting my head in my hands. I let my mind wander to the fantasy that I had yesterday when I was looking at the house. I imagined what the family that owned the house must be doing. I envisioned them sitting down to dinner, sharing stories about their day. The mom talking about her annoying colleague; the dad describing all the sales he made that day.

I leaned my head back and drew in a deep breath. Oh how badly I wanted that.

**A&amp;A**

When I got to school, Austin was nowhere to be found. I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he finally understood that I wanted to be alone. I got to my locker and started grabbing my things.

"Why are you lying to me, Ally?"

I spun around to see Austin standing behind me. He did not look happy. I calmly tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and looked up at him.

"What are you talking about?"

Austin crossed his arms. "I know you don't live at that house."

My heart started racing, but I tried to maintain my calm composure. "What are you say-"

"Oh cut the crap Ally." His harsh tone made me flinch. "I went to that house this morning to convince you to let me give you a ride to school. I went up to the door and I asked for you. You know what the man said? He said he had no idea who the heck I was talking about. Why would you lie?"

I searched his eyes. They reflected hurt back at me. I guiltily hung my head.

"I don't know. I'm sorry. " I whispered. I felt so bad. He had been nothing but nice to me and I was such a jerk.

"Hey, it's ok." He reached out and put his hand on my right arm, causing me to reel back in pain. He had put his hand right where the man had grabbed me, where an angry bruise had formed. Austin pulled his hand back and a look of hurt flashed on his face, but he quickly gave me a small smile.

"Do you wanna tell me why you lied to me?"

"I-I don't know." I stammered.

"Ally, it's fine, you can tell me anything." He looked so sincere, and I really wanted to believe him.

The bell rang and people started to head to their classes. I closed my locker and looked back at Austin.

"I guess I'll just have to tell you later." I turned around to head to my class, but Austin grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.

"Or now."

"We have class." Honestly I didn't even care about class; I was just making lame excuses.

Austin searched my face and leaned in close. "Do you trust me?"

"I-I guess." A smile spread across his face. He pulled me the opposite direction of my class, right out the front doors of the school. He continued into the parking lot, and behind us the final bell rang.

"Where are we going?"

Austin looked back and smiled. "I think it's time we got to know each other a little better."

**A&amp;A**

I had no clue where Austin was taking me until we reached the gate of his house. The memory of what happened just a few days ago replayed in my head. I gripped the armrest of the seat. Austin hit a button on a remote clipped to the sun visor and the gate swung open. We headed up the winding driveway and came to a stop in the driveway. He turned off the car and looked over at me.

"Why do you look so scared?"

"Well the last time I was here some jerk ran over my bike." Austin laughed and put a hand over his heart.

"Well at least that _'jerk' _is trying to make up for it." I gave him a small smile.

"Wow." He said, staring at me. "I think that's the first time I've seen you smile. You look better with a smile."

I blushed and grabbed the door handle. I slid out and waited for Austin to come around and lead the way. When we walked through the front door, I was speechless.

The inside of his house was _beautiful. _Just imagine the typical double stair case entryway of ye old mansion, but times that by twenty. A crystal chandelier twinkled above our heads. I looked down at my jeans and sweatshirt and immediately felt out of place.

Austin motioned for me to follow him up the stairs. We climbed up and went down a long hallway, passing dozens of doors that I had to fight the urge to open. We rounded a corner and finally came to the end of the hallway. Austin opened up the door and I followed him inside.

My mouth fell open. The room I was standing in was probably as big as the apartment. There was a giant bed centered against the wall to the right. There were instruments strewn about the room, and drawings covering the yellow walls. The farthest wall was pretty much just one big window. There was a glass door that led out to a balcony.

"Is this your room?" I asked in awe.

Austin walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Yep."

I walked over to the glass door and pointed. "May I?"

Austin waved his hand, telling me to go ahead.

I walked outside and a cool breeze hit me. I walked to the edge and looked around. In front of me was his sprawling backyard. There was a giant swimming pool and a barbeque pit to me right. To my left was an outdoor dining area and a fire ring.

"Pretty nice, huh?" Austin suddenly appeared to my right, startling me.

"Oh-um- yeah. Very."

We walked back into his room. He went back to his spot on his bed and I sat on his desk chair. We sat in silence for a few moments before I could no longer bear it.

"So you said you wanted to talk?"

Austin took in a breath. "Oh yeah, right."

"So let's talk."

Austin nodded. "Ok. First of all, where do you really live?"

I looked down at my hands. "I can't tell you."

"Why? I won't judge you, Ally. You should know that."

"Nobody knows where I live, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"Ally," he crossed the room and grabbed my hand, bringing me back to sit on the bed next to him. "You can't just keep trying to push me away. I'm not going anywhere."

I looked into his eyes. Something deep within me stirred. "I-I live in a tiny little apartment above a taco shop with my dad."

I expected him to laugh, or make fun of me, but he just sat there and nodded, encouraging me to go on. "I mean, we didn't always live in that dump. I used to live in a pretty house with my mom and dad. My mom-she-she died." A tear rolled down my cheek. I just couldn't stop talking. Austin held onto both of my hands. "She was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was fourteen. It was too late. There was nothing the doctors could do to help her. She was so sick. That's how I remember her-sick. My dad started drinking after my mom died. It wasn't so bad at first, but then he started gambling. We had to sell the house and move into the cheapest place that we could find. He can't admit that he has a problem but I know that he does. He blames me." I was sobbing at this point. "Now we have nothing. Two nights ago he was throwing things and blamed for losing everything. He gambled away all the money we had, and even the college fund that my mom set aside for me. I don't know where he is. He hasn't come home for the last two days. I don't know what to do."

Austin held his arms open and I gladly melted into them. It felt good to get it all out. I had that all bottled up inside of me and I had no idea that it would be so nice to release it. I wasn't really sure why I opened up so easily to Austin. It just felt so natural.

He rubbed circles in my back as I cried into his shirt. "I'm so sorry Ally. I would have never guessed."

I pulled back slightly. "I've never told anyone what I just told you. Not even Trish."

Austin smiled. "Thank you for opening up to me."

I couldn't help but smile and melt back into his hold. It felt comfortable. Warm. Familiar. _It felt like home. _

**A&amp;A**

**Hey guys! First of all, thank you sososo much for the nice reviews! I seriously get so excited when I get a review. I can't even to tell you how much they mean to me. You guys rock!**

**Ok, so far I've been updating daily. Do you guys think that I'm updating too often? Like should I only update like twice a week? I'm just scared of posting too often. So let me know!**

**I own nothing**

**Reviews rock :)**

**Review, Follow, Favorite! **

**|April|**


	4. Chapter 4

When I opened my eyes the next morning, the events of the previous afternoon rushed into my head. For a moment I wondered if it was all just a pleasant dream, but the smell of Austin's cologne lingered on my shirt, causing me to smile. I laid in bed for a while thinking over everything that had happened.

After he had held me for a while, I told him that I should be getting home. He was prepared to drive me, but I told him that I wanted to walk home so I could clear my head. He had reluctantly agreed, although he didn't like the idea of me walking home alone to an empty apartment, but I assured him that I was sure my dad had to come home sooner or later.

But when I got home, there was no sign of him.

I sighed, getting out of bed and headed to my closet. All of my usual hoodies and jeans were dirty. The only clothes that were clean and hung in my closet were a few dresses. I pulled one out and examined it. I hardly ever wore anything besides jeans and hoodies, partly because I usually biked to school, which would be hard to do in a dress, and because I didn't enjoy the pervy looks my dad's "friends" gave me when I wore anything that showed more skin than a hoodie.

I walked over my mirror and held the dress to my body. It was a pretty floral dress that I had gotten for a school dance that I didn't end up going to because my dad decided that I needed to stay home and clean the house that night. I wondered if it even still fit. I slipped it over my head and looked at the mirror as it fell into place.

Wow. I looked _good. _The dress was even prettier on. It was flowy and fell to me mid-thigh. It had cap sleeves and a high neck line. I twirled around. I felt pretty. I brushed my hair out and let my natural waves fall around my shoulders, as opposed to my usual pony tail.

I went back to my closet and dug around until I finally found a pair of black flats that I had only worn once before. I looked at myself in the mirror and I actually liked what I saw. To put on the finishing touch, I put on just a touch of makeup. I looked like a different person.

I walked out of my room and into the kitchen. I searched every cupboard, but there was nothing in any of them. I opened the fridge. All that was in there was tub of butter. My stomach rumbled as I closed the door. What was I going to do, starve? I had to figure out what I would do if Dad didn't come back soon.

I headed out of the apartment and hurried down the steps. Ben was by the curb in front of the taco shop, setting up a specials board. He looked up at me as I walked closer, doing a double take.

"Who are you and what have you done with my Ally?"

I laughed and playfully nudged his shoulder. "Oh, shut up."

Ben smiled at me and motioned for me to twirl. I giggled and twirled in a circle for him. "Seriously, Ally, you look amazing."

Heat crawled up my neck and into my cheeks as I looked down at the sidewalk. "Thanks, Ben."

"That Austin Moon sure is a lucky one."

I snapped my head up and shoved him not-so-playfully this time. "There is _nothing _going on between me and Austin."

I turned on my heel and stormed away.

"Keep telling yourself that!"

**A&amp;A**

I was about half way to school when a familiar grey jeep zoomed past me. I stopped and watched as it came to a screeching halt about ten feet away from me. It suddenly went in reverse and came to a stop in front of me. I crossed my arms as Austin rolled down the window, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

"Ally! I almost didn't recognize you!"

I rolled my eyes as I opened the door and climbed in. "Why do people think I'm not allowed to wear a dress?"

Austin coughed. "I'm not saying that! I'm just saying that you look really nice today. I like your hair down."

I inwardly smiled, but on the outside I just stared straight ahead. We sat there for a moment before I looked at the clock and then to him. "We're going to be late."

"Oh. Right." He started the car again.

"Were you looking for me?" I asked, looking over at him.

"Kind of." He admitted. "I still haven't figured out exactly where you live, so I figured I'd go the long way to school and hope I'd see you on the way."

"Well thank you, that's really nice of you."

"Anytime." He looked over at me and gave me a sweet smile. "You should really give me your number. It would make this a whole lot easier."

I looked down at my hands. "I don't have a phone."

Austin looked straight ahead and clenched his jaw. "Oh. I'm really sorry I asked. I really shouldn't just assume that-"

"Hey," I said softly, cutting him off. "It's fine. It's no big deal. You were just asking a question."

He looked back at me and gave me a small smile. We pulled into the school parking lot and he turned off his car. We got out and headed to the front of school together. I got a lot of strange looks. I wasn't sure if it was because _I_ arrived at school with _Austin Moon _or because of my outfit. I just shook off their looks and made my way to my locker, Austin trailing along behind me. When I got to my locker, I turned around and looked at Austin.

"Isn't your locker on the other side of school?"

He rubbed the back and almost looked… shy. "I just wanted to walk you to class."

"Oh. Um, yeah, ok." I turned around as heat rushed to my face. I quickly gathered my things and slammed my locker shut. I smiled at him and we began walking.

"Who do you have for history?" I asked, making small talk as we walked.

"Mrs. Norrin." He responded.

"Oh, I heard she's tough."

"Tell me about it! Last week she-"

We fell into a deep conversation and too soon we were at my class. The warning bell rang, and people began to scramble on their way.

"So… I'll see you later?"

Austin gave me a big smile. "Yep. Meet me in the front after school; I'll give you a ride."

I smiled back at him. "See you."

He half turned, gave me a small wave, and walked down the hall. I leaned against a locker, watching him walk away. I realized I was staring way too long; I shook my head. What was I doing? I turned into my history class as the bell rang. My head was clouded with a million thoughts, but I knew one thing for sure: I couldn't wait until after school.

**A&amp;A**

"OMG ALLY YOU LOOK _HOT!" _Trish screeched as I sat down at our table at lunch.

I ducked down in my seat, as a few eyes found their way to our table.

"All my other clothes were dirty."

"This is the beginning of a new Ally, I'm calling it right now. You're never going back to hoodies."

I rolled my eyes as Trish launched into a long speech about how 'I was finally understanding fashion' and I was 'headed in the right direction.' While Trish was yammering on, my eyes roamed the cafeteria, only to immediately find Austin, who was staring right back. He smiled at me and waved from the table that he sat at with the rest of the baseball team. I blushed and waved back.

Trish stopped short and turned around to see who I was waving at. When she saw Austin, she whipped around and stared at me with crazy eyes.

"SO _THAT'S _WHO YOU WERE WITH YESTERDAY!"

I broke my gaze with Austin and stared at Trish. "W-What?"

"Don't think I didn't notice you were missing yesterday! You haven't missed a day of school in your entire life! Who is this new Ally Dawson that dresses well and ditches school with a _boy._"

"I-I don't know. We were just talking and he was like 'Do you trust me?' and I was like 'I guess so' so then he dragged me out of the school and we went to his house and we talked and then I just went home and-"I was talking a thousand words a minute.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up! You actually went _in _his house and _talked _to him."

"Um. Yeah?"

Trish nearly fell out of her chair. "I need to start planning your wedding!"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I don't like him like that, Trish. I've only really known him for a few days."

"Oh _sure _Ally, that's what you say now," She purred while I stood up and began walking away, "but that's not what you'll be saying when I ask two weeks from now! I swear!"

**A&amp;A**

When the final bell rang, I nearly sprinted to the front door. There he stood, leaning against the rail. He stood up and smiled as I walked closer.

"Ready?"

"Yup."

We walked to his car and got in. We sat there for a moment, him not making any move to turn on the car. I opened my mouth to ask him if he was ok, when he suddenly turned.

"Do you want to have dinner at my house?" he blurted out. I blinked a few times. I imagined me sitting at a fancy table with his parents, eating a fancy meal, with butlers roaming about. I wanted to say no, knowing that I didn't belong there, but my growling stomach told me to say yes. I hadn't had anything to eat at lunch, and obviously there was nothing to eat at home.

"Um, sure, that sounds great." Austin looked relieved. He smiled and started the car. We sat in a comfortable silence until we got to his house. I followed him up to his room. I launched onto his bed, letting my body melt into the mattress. It was no doubt the comfiest bed I had ever experienced in my life. I opened my eyes and looked around the room. Yesterday I hadn't even realized the mass amount of instruments in his room.

"You're into music?" I asked, sitting up. He crossed the room and sat behind his keyboard. He put his hands on the keys, took a breath, and started playing. I immediately recognized the melody and laughed. I got off the bed and walked closer to him. "No way."

He raised his eyebrows and smiled teasingly. Then he actually began to sing.

_It's nine o'clock on a Saturday  
The regular crowd shuffles in  
There's an old man sitting next to me  
Making love to his tonic and gin_

I laughed as he tilted his head back and belted out the lyrics. I was stunned at how good of a singer he was.

_He says, "Son can you play me a memory  
I'm not really sure how it goes  
But it's sad and it's sweet  
And I knew it complete  
When I wore a younger man's clothes"_

"C'mon Ally, this is your part." He nodded encouragingly. I hesitated. This was my mother's favorite song. She used to sit at the piano and play while I sang. My heart clenched for a moment, but when he reached the verse, my mouth opened automatically.

_**Sing us a song you're the piano man  
Sing us a song tonight  
Well we're all in the mood for a melody  
And you've got us feeling alright**_

Austin stopped playing and stared at me. My face grew hot. Was I really that bad?

"Wow." Austin whispered.

"W-what?" I stammered.

"You're voice. I-It's _beautiful." _If I wasn't blushing before, I was definitely blushing then. "Ally, you seriously have a gift. Do you sing often?"

My throat tightened as I thought about my mom. "No. I haven't sung since my mom died. I used to sing all the time while she played the piano."

Not even for a moment did Austin give me the 'I'm so sorry for your loss' look. "You should really sing more often."

I couldn't think of anything to say, but luckily there was a knock on the already open door. The woman that had first answered the door on that afternoon not even a week ago stood in the doorway.

"Dinner's ready!" She walked away swiftly. I looked over at Austin as he stood up from the bench. He led me out the door and down the hallway. We went down the stairs and turned to the right, into an informal dining area. It was a small table with just four chairs, two of them already occupied with Mrs. Moon and a man I assumed was Mr. Moon.

Unlike what I imagined him to look like (all business like in a suit), he wore a plain white tee shirt and gym shorts. Mrs. Moon wore a simple yellow sundress. She smiled at me as I took the seat across from her, and Austin took the seat across from Mr. Moon.

"Ally, this is my dad, Mike." Mr. Moon reached out his hand and smiled at me warmly. His handshake was friendly and welcoming. "And you know my mom, Mimi." Mrs. Moon smiled at me warmly.

"I guess we haven't officially met. I'm very sorry about the other day."

"Oh don't fret, honey. I was just worried when you went running off like that." I nodded and looked down at my plate. It was filled with spaghetti and garlic bread. My stomach roared. I picked up my fork and dug in along with the rest of the Moons. I nearly melted at the goodness of the home cooked meal, something I hadn't had in so long.

It turned out that despite their wealth, the Moons were pretty ordinary people. When Austin's parents asked me about my home life, Austin politely diverted the conversation.

"So Ally," Mr. Moon began as Mrs. Moon started clearing our plates. "Where's your dad been? We've been trying to get a hold of him so we could get that work done, but he hasn't returned our call."

"Oh um, right." My mind raced for an excuse. "He's been… on a business trip! But he just got back last night, so he'll probably be in touch with you soon.

Austin looked over at me and raised his eyebrows.

_He's really back? _He mouthed. I nodded hesitantly. I didn't want to lie to him, but I didn't want him to worry.

Mrs. Moon peeked her head into the room from the kitchen. "Would you like to bring some of these leftovers home to your dad, Ally?"

"Oh yes, that'd be great, thank you."

After about another hour, I walked out of the Moon house with a container of spaghetti in my hands. I got into Austin's Jeep and closed the door. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wasn't that bad, right?" Austin said teasingly.

"Your parents are so nice. I love them."

"Well trust me, they love you too." Austin smiled at me and I giggled. I directed him to drop me off a street away from the apartment. I got out and thanked him again for the dinner.

"Hope your dad likes the spaghetti."

I gave him a small smile and waved as he drove away. I turned down the street and walked home, suddenly feeling more alone than I had ever felt before.

**A&amp;A**

**Hey guys! I decided to stay up late to finish this chapter. If you're wondering how I update so fast I'll tell you my secret: I avoid all my responsibilities. Like seriously I avoid doing my homework and just write instead. I also got to write most of this chapter this afternoon because we were watching my little cousin and she started throwing up and I was like 'nope' and I hid in my room and just typed. **

**If any of you are like "why isn't Austin like 'where the hell has your dad been' to Ally? Is he not worried?" Well I just don't want to make Austin really pushy. I mean I think Austin trusts her enough to think that she'd ask him for help if she needed it, so… yeah. **

**Anyways, thank you for all the nice reviews! Reviews have already passed You Are In Love, which has eleven chapters, and this story has only been three chapters so far! **

**The song that was in this chapter was Piano Man by Billy Joel.**

**I own nothing**

**Reviews rock! :)**

**Review, Follow, Favorite!**

**|April|**


	5. Chapter 5

A loud banging made me bolt upright in bed. I looked at the clock. It was 2:56 AM. My heart started beating a million miles a minute. _There's someone in the house. _

I quietly slipped out of bed and creeped down the hall. It was pitch black dark, so I carefully felt my way along the wall. I heard rustling in the kitchen, followed by the sound of the fridge door opening. I slowly peered around the corner.

"_Dad?" _I gasped. There he was, illuminated by the fridge light. He held the container of spaghetti that Austin's mom gave me in his hands. "Where have you been?!"

"Out." He said gruffly. "Where the hell did you get this?" He held up the spaghetti.

"I-Um, had dinner at Trish's house," I lied.

"Who have you told?" Flames danced in his eyes, he was sober, but angry.

"Told what?"

"Don't play dumb with me! Who have you told about our… situation?" He was yelling now.

My mind momentarily flashed to Austin. "N-no one."

"GOD DAMN IT ALLY." He screamed, throwing the container at the wall. It busted open, noodles clinging to the wall and sauce running down like a waterfall. I flinched and backed up to the wall.

"W-what's wrong, Dad?" I said, barely able to speak above a whisper.

He went and sat on the couch, putting his head in his hands. I watched as he sat there breathing heavily for a few minutes.

"There are people-bad people- that are after me." He said quietly, finally looking at me. "I owe them something, and they won't give up until they get it from me."

"What do you owe them?" I walked cautiously closer.

"I-It's better if you didn't know." Dad leaned back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. "I really screwed thing up for us. I'm so sorry, Ally."

A tear fell down my cheek. Dad looked over and tried to smile, but it came across as more of a grimace.

"I need to go away for a while."

My words failed me. I wasn't sure how to react. "B-but you just got back! How am I supposed to survive by myself?" I couldn't hold back the tears that were streaming down my face.

"It's to keep you safe. If I'm far away from you, they can't hurt you." I sat down on the couch next to him. He reached over and smoothed my hair away from my face. "Don't worry. You'll figure out something; you're a smart girl. But you should be happy that I'm taking the fall. This is all your fault anyways."

Anger boiled inside me. I quickly stood up, away from his touch, and stood in front of him.

"NO!" I screamed. "YOU CAN'T JUST EXPECT ME TO 'FIGURE SOMETHING OUT'! WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY BECAUSE OF YOU. THIS IS ALL _YOUR _FAULT." I pointed straight at him, angry tears filling my mouth. "You're leaving your seventeen-year-old daughter alone for God knows how long with no money, food, nothing. You promised Mom that you'd take care of me. You call _this _taking care of me? Yeah, some father of the year! I'm not going to be able to go to college because of _you. _It's all because of _you. _Don't you dare blame it on me."

I stormed to my room, quickly finding my duffel bag and began shoving whatever my hands found into it. Dad appeared at the doorway.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You don't speak to your father like that."

I ignored him, concentrating on putting things into the bag. I didn't have much stuff, I didn't even bother to pack my clothes, just shoes, makeup, undergarments, and toiletries. I grabbed my school backpack and put it on my shoulders. I zipped up the duffel bag and put it across my body. I slipped on my Converse and brushed past my dad.

"What the hell are you doing? Get back here right now."

I was already at the front door. Gripping the handle, I turned around and glared at him. "No. What do you care anyways? You can't tell me what to do. I'm doing what I should have done so long ago: getting away from _you. _I don't care if I never see you again. Goodbye."

As I ran down the steps, I heard him calling after me, but I just kept running, the duffel bag clunking against my body. I ran towards the only person I could think of: _Austin._

**A&amp;A**

When I got to his house, the sun was coming up. I didn't have a watch, but I guessed it was around five thirty. My body hurt from running and my eyelids drooped. I stared at the gate. _What if no one's home? What if I wake them up? What if he turns me away?_

I stood in front of the buzzer, just staring at it, for about five minutes. I finally willed myself to move my hand. After a few minutes, I was just about to walk away when there was static on the other end.

"Ally, dear is that you?" Mrs. Moon's voice said on the other side. "Oh dear, come in!"

The gate opened. I stood there for a moment. My feet carried me up the driveway until I was about ten feet from the front door, where Mrs. Moon stood. When I saw her standing there with a concerned look, I broke down. I dropped to the ground and sobs overcame me.

"Ally!" She rushed over and flung her arms around me. She held onto me tightly. He touch was warm and motherly, something I hadn't felt in so long. I melted into her embrace, sobbing into my hands. She ran her hand over my head in a comforting gesture.

"Mom? What are you doing-" I looked up to see Austin standing in the doorway, looking like he just got out of bed. He found my eyes and his face immediately dropped. "Ally!"

He ran over to where me and Mrs. Moon were huddled on the ground and dropped to his knees. Seeing him made me sob harder, but as he took my face in his hands and examined me, I managed the slightest smile. "Hi" I choked out.

"Oh Ally." Austin flung his arms around me. Mrs. Moon removed her arms, and just sat with us, rubbing my back. I cried into Austin's shirt as his grip tightened around me.

"Are you ok? Are you hurt?" He asked, pulling back slightly. I nodded and sniffed.

"I am now."

"Oh Ally, please come in." Mrs. Moon said, standing up. "Let me take your bags."

Austin helped me up as I handed my backpack and duffel bag to Mrs. Moon. Austin put his arm around me as we walked into the house. He led me to the right, into a comfy living room. He sat me down on a plush couch and quickly fetched a box of tissues. I gratefully took one and blew my nose.

Mrs. Moon walked in took a seat in an armchair across from me. Austin sat next to me, his gaze never leaving my face.

"Ally, what's wrong, honey?" Mrs. Moon said lightly, her expression gentle.

I sniffed and looked down at my hands. "Um-well…" My voice was scratchy and I coughed to clear my throat.

"Well first of all," I started, "I lied to you last night. My dad hadn't come home yet when I was talking to you, and he wasn't on a business trip- I had no idea where he was. At about three in the morning, I thought someone had broken into the apartment, but it was my dad. He was angry. He told me he was leaving me alone because of… reasons. We have no money, or food. I asked him how I was supposed to live; he said I'd figure something out. He blamed all of our problems on me. He blames me for us having absolutely nothing, when he's the one who gambled away our money. He gambled away the college money that my Mom set aside before she died. I couldn't stand it any longer, so I packed my things and left. This was the only place I could think of to go to."

Austin grabbed my hand. A stray tear slipped down my face. Mrs. Moon looked like she was going to cry.

"A-Ally, I'm so sorry. I had absolutely no idea. You're more than welcome to stay her for as long as you want."

"Thank you so much Mrs. Moon." I couldn't believe how nice she was being. She stood up, walked over to me, and squeezed my hand.

"I'm going to go make breakfast."

When she left, I looked over at Austin.

"You should have told me your dad wasn't home. You could have stayed here for the night." He said gently, his thumb drawing circles on the back of my hand, which made my stomach flutter. "I'm glad you came here though. I feel better with you here-knowing that I can help you."

I smiled at him.

"I promise I won't let anyone hurt you."

**A&amp;A**

After eating some breakfast, Austin grabbed my bags and motioned for me to follow him upstairs. He led me down the hall, turning like he was going to his room, but he stopped at the door right before his. He opened it, revealing a huge guest room.

It was simple, just a bed on a platform centered in the middle of the closest wall, but it was beautiful. I leaped onto the bed. It was just as comfy as Austin's. Austin laughed and set my bags on top a chair. I closed my eyes as Austin sat at the edge of the bed.

Suddenly I shot up, startling Austin.

"What time is it?!" Austin looked at his phone.

"8:30." I panicked. I rushed over to my bag and started rummaging through it.

"We're late for school!"

Austin just sat there. I looked back at him like he was crazy. "Why aren't you getting ready?"

Austin laughed and walked over, pulling me away from my bag and back to the bed. "It's Saturday."

My body slumped. "Oh."

Austin laughed and layed back on the bed. "Even if it was a school day, I don't think it would be good for you to go today, after the morning you've had."

I looked down at my hands. "But I have to."

"Why?"

I sighed. "I have to go to school so I can keep my grades up. I want to go to college, and the only way to do that is to get good grades so maybe I can get a scholarship."

Austin propped himself up on his elbow. "Missing one day of school doesn't mean you won't get into college. Ally, a college would be crazy not to offer you a full ride. You're the smartest girl I know."

"I just want to make certain. College is my only opportunity to get far, far away from here."

Austin gave me a small smile and reached over and squeezed my hand. "Everything will work out, I promise."

**A&amp;A**

When I woke up the next morning, I panicked for a moment, forgetting where I was. When I remembered that I was at Austin's house, I relaxed. I stretched my arms out.

When I opened the door to my room, I noticed that Austin's was ajar. I walked over and poked my head inside. There was no sign of him. I heard water running behind the door to my left, so I figured he was taking a shower. I walked into his room, admiring all his instruments. I stopped at his guitar. I picked it up and sat on the edge of his bed.

I didn't know how to play the guitar as well as I did the piano, but I knew a little from what my mom taught me. I strummed a little bit, until finally I was strumming a familiar melody. It was a song that I wrote when my dad decided to move us to an apartment. I started humming along. Then I started singing.

_I know they say you can't go home again.  
I just had to come back one last time.  
Ma'am I know you don't know me from Adam.  
But these handprints on the front steps are mine.  
And up those stairs, in that little back bedroom  
is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar.  
And I bet you didn't know under that live oak  
my favorite dog is buried in the yard._

A tear came to my eyes. Memories of when my family was a family played through my head.

_I thought if I could touch this place or feel it  
this brokenness inside me might start healing.  
Out here it's like I'm someone else,  
I thought that maybe I could find myself  
if I could just come in I swear I'll leave.  
Won't take nothing but a memory  
from the house that built me._

My heart yearned to go back to the times when my mom was still alive.

_Mama cut out pictures of houses for years.  
From 'Better Homes and Garden' magazines.  
Plans were drawn, concrete poured,  
and nail by nail and board by board  
Daddy gave life to mama's dream._

_I thought if I could touch this place or feel it  
this brokenness inside me might start healing.  
Out here it's like I'm someone else,  
I thought that maybe I could find myself.  
If I could just come in I swear I'll leave.  
Won't take nothing but a memory  
from the house that built me._

_You leave home, you move on and you do the best you can.  
I got lost in this whole world and forgot who I am._

I strummed the last chord and hung my head. The sound of clapping made me jump and nearly drop the guitar. I looked up to see Austin leaning against the door frame.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again: you are such an amazing singer, Ally!" He crossed the room and sat next to me.

I blushed. "T-thanks. I didn't know you were listening."

Austin smiled and took the guitar from my hands, resting it on his lap. He mindlessly tried to recreate the melody. "I've never heard that song before. Who sings it?"

I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "Me."

Austin laughed and plucked at the guitar. "I meant like who wrote it?"

"Me."

Austin froze and looked up at me. "You write songs?!"

"Um, yeah. I mean I used to."

"Wow! You're so talented! I couldn't write a song to save my life! When did you write that song?"

"I wrote it a little after my mom died and my dad told me he was selling our house."

"It's really beautiful."

I smiled and looked down at my lap. When I looked up, Austin was staring at me. "What?"

Austin smiled admiringly. "There's so much I have left to learn about you."

**A&amp;A**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I forgot to mention this in the last chapter but I'm putting picture references in my profile, like for last chapter I put a reference for Ally's room in my profile, also. **

**Hey guys! I originally had no inspiration for this chapter and I put off writing it on Sunday, but today I forced myself to sit down and start typing and then I was on a roll. I hope you like this chapter! There's a lot of drama in this chapter, but trust me I have something very… **_**special **_**planned for later down the road, but it's a loooooong way down the road so you'll have to stick around ;)**

**Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter! This story has the most reviews I've ever gotten and I honestly get a little emotional. :)**

**The song in this chapter is The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert.**

**Reviews rock!**

**I own nothing**

**Review, Follow, Favorite!**

**|April|**


	6. Chapter 6

I was in a dark alley. Shadows danced on the building to my left, wavering in what must have been the light from some kind of fire. Loud voices drifted down the alley to where I stood. They seemed to wrap tight around my body and pull me towards the end of the alley like an invisible lasso. The soft light grew closer and the voices became louder and louder. There was a large round of laughter, then the familiar click of a lighter, and then silence.

The force pulled me around the corner, and stopped as I faced a dead end. There was nothing- no people, no fire, nothing. The grip on my body suddenly vanished, making me feel cold and exposed. I went to turn around and look around, but I couldn't move my feet. It was like they were glued to the cement.

The sound of a lighter click filled the still air. I turned my head around as far as I could, and I saw that there I was absolutely alone. The sound of laughter filled the air again. My eyes scanned every inch of the space, but there was no one, and yet it sounded as if the people were right next to me.

Suddenly, two large hands clamped down on my shoulders, making me yelp. I tried to scream, but the hand on my right shoulder was replaced to cover my mouth. There was a mouth by my ear, and the smell of cigars floated on the person's breath.

"We've been waiting for you." The person crooned into my ear. The masculine voice was very familiar. I shuddered.

"We?" I mumbled through his hand.

He removed his hand from my mouth and clapped it back onto my shoulder. His billowing laugh boomed off the walls of the buildings.

"I don't see what's so funny. What do you want from me?" I asked, pulling in all my courage.

"_We, _have come to get what rightfully belongs to us."

"We? Us? I don't understand what you're talking about."

His grip tightened on my shoulders, making me cry out in pain.

"You stupid little girl!" He laughed. "You naïve little child. Open your eyes, Ally."

I wanted to ask him what he meant, but his grip only tightened and he started shaking me. I closed my eyes for a few seconds. When I opened them, a scream caught in my throat. The fire that I had originally thought I saw the light from was occupying most of the space. The men that had confronted me in front of the apartment a while ago were around the fire, talking, laughing, and lighting up cigars.

The worst thing was that my dad was there. He wasn't standing around the fire; he was in the fire.

I pulled against the man behind me, wanting to get to my dad. He was tied to a stake in the middle of the fire. The fire only lapped at his feet, but his face was covered with sweat and soot. The men had obviously beat him before tying him up, as his lip was split and his shirt was streaked with blood.

"DAD!" I screamed struggling against the man. He kept shaking me, but I kept writhing about, trying to escape his grasp.

My dad's eyes met mine and my heart wrenched. His face was so dull, as if he was dead on the inside. Tears streamed down my face. Dad's head lolled to the side.

"Stop it! Why are you doing this?" I screamed through my tears.

The man closest to me stopped fiddling with his lighter and gave me a wicked smirk.

"He says he can't gives us what we's wants." He throws his cigar into the fire and pulls another one out from his shirt pocket. "And we's don't fools 'round wit chumps like hims."

The fire was starting to pick up.

"DAD!" I screamed as loud as I could. "DAD!"

He picked his head back up. Even with all the loud chatter of the men, I heard him as clear as day.

"_Open your eyes Ally."_

It seemed as if everything was fading away. I couldn't see his face anymore, and soon everything was gone.

"ALLY!"

I opened my eyes to see Austin's face right in front of mine. His hands were on my shoulders and he was shaking me.

"Ally!" He cried seeing that my eyes were open.

"Wha-" I sat up. I was in my bed at Austin's house. My face was wet with tears and my hands were shaking. I was gasping for air, my chest heaving.

"Were you having a bad dream?" Austin asked gently.

I took a moment to catch my bearings. "I-I guess. I-it was so weird."

It had felt so real. Austin took my hand gently and rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb. "Want to talk about it?"

I nodded slowly, still trying to piece everything together. "I-I was in an alley. And then I was pulled to this dead end and then there was this man, and a lot of other men, and my dad, and there was fire, and-"

"Whoa, Ally slow down!" He rubbed my shoulder comfortingly. I took a deep breath.

"Well basically those guys that are after my dad- they were burning him because he didn't have what they want."

Austin's arms enveloped me and I melted into the embrace. "It's all okay, Ally. I'm sure your Dad is fine."

"But it felt so real." I whispered, a tear rolling down my cheek. He held me for a while longer before I finally pulled away.

I wiped away my tears. "What time is it?"

He looked over the clock. "2:23"

I fell back against the pillow. "I'm sorry for waking you."

"Oh Ally," he said gently. "You really scared me. You were screaming and crying and thrashing around. I was trying to wake you but you wouldn't wake up."

I closed my eyes and squeezed his hand gently.

"Will you lay with me?" I asked quickly.

"Of course."

I scooted to the other side of the bed as he pulled back the covers. He climbed in and I moved closer to his warm body. We were facing each other, and his eyes met mine.

"Don't worry, I'll fight off the bad dreams for you." He smiled.

I grinned and closed my eyes. His arm wrapped around my body and I snuggled in even closer. I was feeling what always came with Austin's embrace-it felt like I was home.

**A&amp;A**

On Monday morning, Austin insisted that I stay home. I put up a fight, arguing that I was fine and actually wanted to go to school, but he was very insistent and I finally gave in. Mike and Mimi left for work at the same time that Austin left for school, leaving me alone in the house.

I wandered around the house most of the morning until I finally ended up in Austin's room. I smiled. It smelt like him. It was a sent that was familiar and comforting. I ran my hands along some of Austin's instruments. I stopped as I reached the guitar. When I was laying with Austin, some lyrics had flitted through my head, but I didn't bother to write them down. I hadn't thought they were that good, but as my hand hovered over the guitar, they came flowing back to me, along with snippets of melody.

Grabbing the guitar, I hurried into my room and scribbled furiously into my song book. I played around with chords until I finally had a whole song by a little after noon. I began strumming and singing the song to myself.

_I never thought that you would be the one to hold my heart  
But you came around and you knocked me off the ground from the start  
You put your arms around me  
And I believe that it's easier for you to let me go  
You put your arms around me and I'm home_

_How many times will you let me change my mind and turn around?  
I can't decide if I'll let you save my life or if I'll drown  
I hope that you see right through my walls  
I hope that you catch me 'cause I'm already falling  
I'll never let our love get so close  
You put your arms around me and I'm home_

I faintly heard the sound of the front door open. I knew it had to be Mimi because she got home a little before Austin gets home from school.

_The world is coming down on me and I can't find a reason to be loved  
I never wanna leave you but I can't make you bleed if I'm alone  
You put your arms around me  
And I believe that it's easier for you to let me go...  
I hope that you see right through my walls  
I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling  
I'll never let our love get so close  
You put your arms around me and I'm home_

There was clapping from the doorway, scaring me and making me drop the guitar. I shot to my feet and spun around. Austin was leaning against the doorway.

"You need to stop doing that!" I screeched.

Austin smirked. "But I like watching you sing."

I scoffed. "What are you doing here, anyways? Shouldn't you be at school right now?"

"I skipped seventh period so I could check on you."

I crossed my arms and frowned. "I'm fine. You shouldn't have ditched. This is going to look so bad on your record!"

Austin laughed. "Ally! Calm down! School just isn't the same without you. It's so… _boring._"

I laughed and sat back down on the bed.

"So," Austin said slowly, "I make you feel safe?"

I looked down at my hands and blushed. "You know you do, and I'm grateful for that."

Austin smiled and squeezed my hand. "I'd do anything for you."

**A&amp;A**

1:12 AM.

The blaring red numbers stared at me. I couldn't stop tossing and turning. I was partly afraid of having another nightmare, but the biggest reason I couldn't sleep was that there was so many thoughts reeling through my head at a million miles per hour.

I couldn't stand it anymore. I got up and started pacing around my room.

I was such a fool. Did I think I'd be able to live here forever and live happily ever after? I groaned.

My dad is still out there. I don't know what those men want, but I sure as hell wanted to find out. Austin would never let me go after those guys.

_Austin. _What would I do about him? He's been nothing but the sweetest to me. I don't deserve his friendship. I know that deep down I was masking some deeper feelings for him. I couldn't deny that I'm not the same without him. He changed my life. But I knew that he didn't feel the same. I was just something for him to watch over.

I ran my hands through my hair. The moon shone through the window and cast a spotlight on my duffel bag. I quickly tore a page from my songbook and scribbled furiously. I put the piece of paper on my pillow. I shoved everything that was laying around into my duffel bag. I took one last look around the room, slipped out the hallway, out the front door, and into the lonely night.

**A&amp;A**

**Well hello there. Long time no see. **

**I honestly don't know why it took me so long to write this. It's the shortest chapter that I've written for this story, and I'm really sorry. So much has been happening lately. My birthday was on March 28. Then it was spring break. I've been in a dark place for a while, and the only benefit of that was that I've been getting all these really cool story ideas that I can't wait to share.**

**I've been really doubting my self-worth lately. I've been questioning how good my stories are, and I have to admit I've come close to giving up on my writing. What has kept me going is that this story has gotten to 50 reviews. This is the most I've ever gotten. It makes me feel really, really good inside and you guys keep me going. So when I say I really appreciate reviews, you have no idea. **

**I love you all so so so much. Thank you for reading :)**

**Oh and let me know what you thought about this chapter. I know it wasn't the best and it's kind of rushed, but I kind of want to hurry the story along. And did you like the dream? I thought it would be kind of an interesting start to the chapter but I had a hard time figuring out how to transition from that so… yeah.**

**The song in this chapter was arms by Christina Perri**

**Review, Follow, Favorite!**

**|April|**


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